"You are what you eat." Nutrition experts often use this saying to promote better eating habits. What we put in our mouths does become a part of us. But we can look at this statement another way. What we eat reflects who we are--as people and as a culture. Do you want to understand another culture? Then you ought to find out about its food. Learning about American food can give us a real taste of American culture. 　　

    "你吃什麼就成為什麼樣子"營養專家經常使用這句話來倡導更好的飲食習慣，入嘴的東西確實成為我們的一部分．但我們也可以從另一個角度來看這句話

，我們所吃的反映出我們自己－－不論就人或文化而言．你想了解另一種文化嗎？那麼你應該去認識他們的食物．認識美國食物可以讓我們得知美國文化的精髓。        

     What is "American food"? At first you might think the answer is easy as pie. To many people, American food means hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken and pizza. If you have a "sweet tooth," you might even think of apple pie or chocolate chip cookies. It's true that Americans do eat those things. But are those the only kind of vittles you can find in America? 　　

    何謂「美式食物」？乍聽之下你可能認為答案容易得很。對許多人而言，美式食物就是漢堡、熱狗、zhajihepisa。ruguonishihaochitianshideren，nikenenghuixiangdaopingguopaihuoqiaokelipianbinggan。meiguorenqueshichizhexiedongxi
，danzhexiejiushinizaimeiguoweiyizhaodedaodeshiwuma

？        

     Except for Thanksgiving turkey, it's hard to find a typically "American" food. The United States is a land of immigrants. So Americans eat food from many different countries. When people move to America, they bring their cooking styles with them. That's why you can find almost every kind of ethnic food in America. In some cases, Americans have adopted foods from other countries as favorites. Americans love Italian pizza, Mexican tacos and Chinese egg rolls. But the American version doesn't taste quite like the original! 　　

    除chu了le感gan恩en節jie火huo雞ji以yi外wai，挺ting難nan找zhao到dao典dian型xing的de美mei國guo食shi物wu。美mei國guo是shi個ge移yi民min之zhi地di
，所suo以yi美mei國guo人ren吃chi的de食shi物wu來lai自zi許xu多duo不bu同tong的de國guo家jia
，當dang人ren們men移yi居ju美mei國guo，他ta們men也ye將jiang自zi己ji的de烹peng調tiao帶dai了le進jin來lai。那na也ye就jiu是shi為wei什shen麼me在zai美mei國guo你ni幾ji乎hu可ke以yi看kan到dao所suo有you不bu同tong民min族zu的de食shi物wu。在zai某mou些xie情qing況kuang中zhong，美mei國guo人ren把ba外wai國guo的de食shi物wu視shi為wei最zui愛ai。美mei國guo人ren喜xi愛ai意yi大da利li的de披pi薩sa，墨mo西xi哥ge的de玉yu米mi餅bing和he中zhong國guo的de春chun卷juan，但dan是shi這zhe些xie東dong西xi的de美mei國guo版ban味wei道dao卻que不bu很hen道dao地di！          

    As with any large country, the U.S.A has several distinct regions. Each region boasts its own special style of food. Visit the South and enjoy country-style cooking. Journey through Louisiana for some spicy Cajun cuisine. Take a trip to New England and sample savory seafood dishes. Travel through the Midwest, "the breadbasket of the nation," for delicious baked goods. Cruise over to the Southwest and try some tasty Tex-Mex treats. Finish your food tour in the Pacific Northwest with some gourmet coffee. 　　

    和許多大國一樣，美國有數個截然不同的地區
，每個地區都以自己特有的食物誇口。走訪美國南部享受鄉村式的烹調
；到路易斯安納州品嚐辛辣的凱郡式料理
；走一趟新英格蘭試嚐它美味的海鮮


；再到中西部「美國的麵包之鄉」品嚐可口的烘培食品
；乘船遊覽至西南部嚐試一些好吃的墨式德州小吃，最後到太平洋西北岸，啜飲美食家的咖啡，作為美食之旅的句點。        

     Americans living at a fast pace often just "grab a quick bite." Fast food restaurants offer people on the run everything from fried chicken to fried rice. Microwave dinners and instant foods make cooking at home a snap. Of course, one of the most common quick American meals is a sandwich. If it can fit between two slices of bread, Americans probably make a sandwich out of it. Peanut butter and jelly is an all-time American favorite. 　　

    生活在快速步調之下的美國人通常隻能「很快地吃幾口」。kuaicandiantigongganshijianderengezhongshiwu，congzhajidaochaofan
，yingyoujinyou。weiboluwancanheshishicandianshidezaijiashaofanshengshiyoukuaisu。dangran，zuipingchangdemeishisucanzhiyijiushisanmingzhi。renhenengjiazailiangpiantusizhongjiandedongxi，meiguorenjiukeyibatazuochengyifensanmingzhi，huashengjiangheguojianggengshiyizhidoushenshoumeiguorendexiai。          

    Americans on the go also tend to eat a lot of "junk food." Potato chips, candy bars, soft drinks and other goodies are popular treats. Many people eat too many of these unhealthy snacks. But others opt for more healthy eating habits. Some even go "all natural." They refuse to eat any food prepared with chemicals or additives. 　　

    忙碌的美國人也趨向於吃一大堆「垃圾食物」。洋芋片

、糖果、汽水和其它好吃的東西都頗受歡迎。許多人吃了太多這類不健康的零嘴
，但是其它人則選擇較健康的飲食習慣，有些人甚至選擇「全天然」的食物，他們拒絕吃任何有化學製品或添加物的食物。         

     American culture is a good illustration of the saying "you are what you eat." Americans represent a wide range of backgrounds and ways of thinking. The variety of foods enjoyed in the U.S. reflects the diversity of personal tastes. The food may be international or regional. Sometimes it's fast, and sometimes it's not so fast. It might be junk food, or maybe it's natural food. In any case, the style is all-American. 　　

    美國文化是「你吃什麼就成為什麼樣子」這zhe句ju話hua的de好hao寫xie照zhao。美mei國guo人ren代dai表biao了le範fan圍wei廣guang泛fan的de背bei景jing和he想xiang法fa。在zai美mei國guo可ke享xiang受shou到dao的de各ge式shi食shi物wu正zheng反fan映ying出chu個ge人ren品pin味wei的de多duo樣yang化hua。這zhe食shi物wu可ke能neng是shi國guo際ji性xing也ye可ke能neng是shi地di區qu性xing的de；有時是快餐，有時也不見得
；它可能是垃圾食物，也可能是天然食品。然而無論如何，它們都是美式的。